(GPGT)Espresso machine hoot

[chikyblink]

after watching gwilym's latest video last night, I realized that I have never remove and clean my shower screen ever since I got the machine. although I have religiously backflush everyday and every month with powder.
I pry out the screen slowly with a flathead screwdriver. surprisingly it's quite easy to remove.
the insides of the shower screen looks ok, just a little coffee smudges which I cleaned with a damp cloth. but the underside of the grouphead where the big screw is, it's covered with a thick layer of stale coffee sludge. I cleaned it up the best I could and put everything back together.
this morning when I tasted my first shot I was like holy puck, there are flavors which I have never noticed b4 and they're quite distinctive. I now realized I've been drinking coffee made with sludge water for the whole time!
needless to say I'll be doing this monthly from now onwards.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

after watching gwilym's latest video last night, I realized that I have never remove and clean my shower screen ever since I got the machine. although I have religiously backflush everyday and every month with powder.
I pry out the screen slowly with a flathead screwdriver. surprisingly it's quite easy to remove.
the insides of the shower screen looks ok, just a little coffee smudges which I cleaned with a damp cloth. but the underside of the grouphead where the big screw is, it's covered with a thick layer of stale coffee sludge. I cleaned it up the best I could and put everything back together.
this morning when I tasted my first shot I was like holy puck, there are flavors which I have never noticed b4 and they're quite distinctive. I now realized I've been drinking coffee made with sludge water for the whole time!
needless to say I'll be doing this monthly from now onwards.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

Yup it's the little things that makes the difference. If I warm cups with pulling water from the brew group I will drink the water after that to see if there is a funny taste. Do u use filtered water? I recommend this too cos it really made a difference to the espresso and more so for brewed coffee. Using a simple Brita jug now and just pour over into the reservoir.

 

[derazor]

did you get the super caimano? how's the distribution in the basket?

I agree getting the grounds out is important. The pharos could be improved on that!

Sharing my new hoot. Illy Artist collection espresso cups. THe design on the saucer must be view from the reflection on the cups to see clearly. Pretty cool i think.

[/IMG]

$300 can or not for the cups set ? Damn nice. Where buy

 

[derazor]

I'm still thinking on whether to spend more money on the roaster first. decisions decisions decisions.....

the Pharos is indeed a PITA to get the grounds out. the frustrating thing is, I actually prefer shots from the Pharos over the HG One.

nice cup! is the exterior chrome?
you seem like a big tiger fan

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

If I'm you, will go for roaster. I'm thinking also because I feel every alternate buy coffee abit sian

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

$300 can or not for the cups set ? Damn nice. Where buy

One cup is 50plus only actually. they have other more colorful designs too inc cappuccino cups. I bought from tangs plaza.

 

[chikyblink]

Yup it's the little things that makes the difference. If I warm cups with pulling water from the brew group I will drink the water after that to see if there is a funny taste. Do u use filtered water? I recommend this too cos it really made a difference to the espresso and more so for brewed coffee. Using a simple Brita jug now and just pour over into the reservoir.

yes I've been using Pur for quite some time. in fact I got it about a week after the machine arrived. and I've forgotten if it made any difference as during that time I'm still fumbling with my techniques. but compared to drinking water from the tap vs filtered water, there certainly is a distinctive difference.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

 

[patryn33]

after watching gwilym's latest video last night, I realized that I have never remove and clean my shower screen ever since I got the machine. although I have religiously backflush everyday and every month with powder.
I pry out the screen slowly with a flathead screwdriver. surprisingly it's quite easy to remove.
the insides of the shower screen looks ok, just a little coffee smudges which I cleaned with a damp cloth. but the underside of the grouphead where the big screw is, it's covered with a thick layer of stale coffee sludge. I cleaned it up the best I could and put everything back together.
this morning when I tasted my first shot I was like holy puck, there are flavors which I have never noticed b4 and they're quite distinctive. I now realized I've been drinking coffee made with sludge water for the whole time!
needless to say I'll be doing this monthly from now onwards.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

great point, I will look into cleaning that this weekend.

 

[chikyblink]

nowadays when you order a cup of joe from a fancy cafe, you're treated to a performance by the barista.

 

[chikyblink]

Just received this in the mail.
Red means good luck for CNY!

Pulled the recommended 19gm in 34gm out using the 20gmVST basket. First thing that comes to my mind is that it is very juicy. Reminds me of Nylon's blends.

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Just received this in the mail.
Red means good luck for CNY!


Pulled the recommended 19gm in 34gm out using the 20gmVST basket. First thing that comes to my mind is that it is very juicy. Reminds me of Nylon's blends.


Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

holy cow i'm drinking the same stuff now. Gong xi fa cai brother. Yep its juicy alright. Like something they would do for their sweetshop (fruitbomb) blend. I pull this one slightly longer than recommended to get something more balanced. The toffeeness in this one is pretty strong too.

I'm drinking the La Virgin Huila too. Very clean. THis one is a bit winey on the finish. Great coffee esp if you like washed coffees styles.

 

[Lastwishes]

Hi, could anyone recommend some options for locally roasted beans (for espresso)? Preferably with an online store front, but I'll head down to a shop if I have no choice. I usually get mine from Nylon, but they seem to be out of town for the next 2 weeks (and I finished my current supply at a bad time)

So far I've tried the following:

all three blends from Papa Palheta, which was okay, but not to my taste.

a few blends from Geisha - some was really great when fresh, but they don't have a fixed roasting schedule, and the last batch I'd gotten wasn't great in the cup.

I've read on and off about Oriole (standards seem to have dropped), Liberty (hard to get fresh without some luck/calling ahead).

I'm looking at Blendnew but have no idea what's suitable for espresso preparation.

If it matters, I usually enjoy lighter roasted beans. Taste profile wise, I'm not particularly discerning, and usually enjoy most blends I try (freshness would seem to be the deciding factor).

p.s. that Red Brick looks interesting. I might try ordering from squaremile a bit later; but does the transit time affect how long the beans would stay fresh?

 

[n0d3]

Hi, could anyone recommend some options for locally roasted beans (for espresso)? Preferably with an online store front, but I'll head down to a shop if I have no choice. I usually get mine from Nylon, but they seem to be out of town for the next 2 weeks (and I finished my current supply at a bad time)

So far I've tried the following:

all three blends from Papa Palheta, which was okay, but not to my taste.

a few blends from Geisha - some was really great when fresh, but they don't have a fixed roasting schedule, and the last batch I'd gotten wasn't great in the cup.

I've read on and off about Oriole (standards seem to have dropped), Liberty (hard to get fresh without some luck/calling ahead).

I'm looking at Blendnew but have no idea what's suitable for espresso preparation.

If it matters, I usually enjoy lighter roasted beans. Taste profile wise, I'm not particularly discerning, and usually enjoy most blends I try (freshness would seem to be the deciding factor).

p.s. that Red Brick looks interesting. I might try ordering from squaremile a bit later; but does the transit time affect how long the beans would stay fresh?

Yeah, D & J are currently on a trip to origin, should have bought some before they left!

Not many have online shops where you can just order and forget about it unfortunately. So you prefer something roasted a bit lighter bit a slight touch of acidity (i.e. Four Chairs?). Nuts & Bolts from Papa Palheta has a nice touch of acidity, which ones have you tried that is not to your liking? Have you tried buying from Common Man (essentially Five Senses)?

Anyway, that definitely excludes Liberty (it's dark as hell and oh god if you know what goes inside Speakeasy you never want to drink it again). Toby's roasts dark as hell and most of the peeps have left already. Oriole has become way commercialised...they got in the big guns to consult but they never really did use their ideas/recommendations. Dutch Colony...meh (who the heck makes a filter BLEND?!).

I only ever ordered from Coffee Collective, they arrive at about the 1 week mark, so just nice for brewing. Depends how fast from RD to delivery I guess, shipping is not cheap though!

 

[GBC]

Anyone ordered from Bettr barista before?

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Hi, could anyone recommend some options for locally roasted beans (for espresso)? Preferably with an online store front, but I'll head down to a shop if I have no choice. I usually get mine from Nylon, but they seem to be out of town for the next 2 weeks (and I finished my current supply at a bad time)

So far I've tried the following:

all three blends from Papa Palheta, which was okay, but not to my taste.

a few blends from Geisha - some was really great when fresh, but they don't have a fixed roasting schedule, and the last batch I'd gotten wasn't great in the cup.

I've read on and off about Oriole (standards seem to have dropped), Liberty (hard to get fresh without some luck/calling ahead).

I'm looking at Blendnew but have no idea what's suitable for espresso preparation.

If it matters, I usually enjoy lighter roasted beans. Taste profile wise, I'm not particularly discerning, and usually enjoy most blends I try (freshness would seem to be the deciding factor).

p.s. that Red Brick looks interesting. I might try ordering from squaremile a bit later; but does the transit time affect how long the beans would stay fresh?

I guess if you like light roasted, more acidic stuff then the recent red brick would be your cup of tea. I usually get mine within 6-7 days post roast which i think is just nice to rest the beans. The greens sourcer for squaremile is a pretty reputable too.

Hasbean is about the same time too. I also ordered from Coffee in a place before. Recently they use DHL to get their beans pretty fresh too. I got my order from them within 8 days post roast. You could check out their website to see what they bring in and write in to see what would be to your taste. I've tried perfero, bodka, redbird, kinkie koffie, and mr espresso but these are generally dark roasted traditional stuff.

Strangers reunion is pretty good too but i don't think their stuff is roasted as light as you would like.

Nod3 mentioned nuts and bolts can get you some fruitiness and I agree. I usually do 20g dose 30g yield at 93 degrees. Common man is lighter roasted stuff too but I am never able to get something drinkable at home from it...very astringent. maybe its my recipe.

You could try pulling single origin beans roasted for brewed coffee too if you like acidity.

 

[Lastwishes]

Plenty of information in both posts, much appreciated.

Not many have online shops where you can just order and forget about it unfortunately. So you prefer something roasted a bit lighter bit a slight touch of acidity (i.e. Four Chairs?). Nuts & Bolts from Papa Palheta has a nice touch of acidity, which ones have you tried that is not to your liking? Have you tried buying from Common Man (essentially Five Senses)?

Anyway, that definitely excludes Liberty (it's dark as hell and oh god if you know what goes inside Speakeasy you never want to drink it again). Toby's roasts dark as hell and most of the peeps have left already. Oriole has become way commercialised...they got in the big guns to consult but they never really did use their ideas/recommendations. Dutch Colony...meh (who the heck makes a filter BLEND?!).

I've tried all the espresso blends from papa palheta - terra firma, throwback, nuts and bolts , although to be fair, I was still learning the espresso preparation process then, so the view of my results might have been a little skewed. Might give the nuts and bolts another try in view of the comments.

Four chairs is what I drink regularly, but I've also been trying the single origins from Nylon lately (I found Bokasso especially good; Vale Verde, not bad).

I've heard of common man, but I'm not sure how exactly to buy from them; there's no webstore, and both their cafe/roastery aren't exactly convenient for me to get to. I did try heading down to tiong bahru bakery at raffles city to get some when I heard they used common man, but the staff told me that they didn't sell the beans. Gotta admit, this had me pretty lost for a moment Is the only way to get their beans via their cafe at Martin's Road?

Surprised to heard that about speakeasy. Read lots of good things about the blend, but never managed to try it.

I guess if you like light roasted, more acidic stuff then the recent red brick would be your cup of tea. I usually get mine within 6-7 days post roast which i think is just nice to rest the beans. The greens sourcer for squaremile is a pretty reputable too.

Hasbean is about the same time too. I also ordered from Coffee in a place before. Recently they use DHL to get their beans pretty fresh too. I got my order from them within 8 days post roast. You could check out their website to see what they bring in and write in to see what would be to your taste. I've tried perfero, bodka, redbird, kinkie koffie, and mr espresso but these are generally dark roasted traditional stuff.

Strangers reunion is pretty good too but i don't think their stuff is roasted as light as you would like.

Nod3 mentioned nuts and bolts can get you some fruitiness and I agree. I usually do 20g dose 30g yield at 93 degrees. Common man is lighter roasted stuff too but I am never able to get something drinkable at home from it...very astringent. maybe its my recipe.

You could try pulling single origin beans roasted for brewed coffee too if you like acidity.

Thanks for the links, looks like there's plenty of choices I didn't know about. I'll probably order some red brick to try too.

I might have overemphasized on the light roasted aspect; I have tried blends from Geisha, which I believe is around a city roast, and found it to be pretty good too. I tend to get rather bad results with dark roasts (usually extremely bitter), which is why I stick to light/medium roasts.

Again, thanks for the very informative posts guys. Happy CNY!

 

[derazor]

holy cow i'm drinking the same stuff now. Gong xi fa cai brother. Yep its juicy alright. Like something they would do for their sweetshop (fruitbomb) blend. I pull this one slightly longer than recommended to get something more balanced. The toffeeness in this one is pretty strong too.

I'm drinking the La Virgin Huila too. Very clean. THis one is a bit winey on the finish. Great coffee esp if you like washed coffees styles.

how much is shipping man....

 

[derazor]

Yeah, D & J are currently on a trip to origin, should have bought some before they left!

Not many have online shops where you can just order and forget about it unfortunately. So you prefer something roasted a bit lighter bit a slight touch of acidity (i.e. Four Chairs?). Nuts & Bolts from Papa Palheta has a nice touch of acidity, which ones have you tried that is not to your liking? Have you tried buying from Common Man (essentially Five Senses)?

Anyway, that definitely excludes Liberty (it's dark as hell and oh god if you know what goes inside Speakeasy you never want to drink it again). Toby's roasts dark as hell and most of the peeps have left already. Oriole has become way commercialised...they got in the big guns to consult but they never really did use their ideas/recommendations. Dutch Colony...meh (who the heck makes a filter BLEND?!).

I only ever ordered from Coffee Collective, they arrive at about the 1 week mark, so just nice for brewing. Depends how fast from RD to delivery I guess, shipping is not cheap though!

can talk more about speakeasy? during grinding for speak, normally can reduce grindsize a few revolutions as compared to the rest ( papa, highlander etc ).

Most of the time now I buy from Papa , Pacamera, Highlander ( last choice but it's cheap @ $12 ). Where you guys buy locally?

 

[Baby_Cynthia]

if I want to drink Americano aka coffeeshop black kopi o can buy this type of machine or not? any recommendation for beginner ?

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Is the only way to get their beans via their cafe at Martin's Road?

If you are in Tanjong Pagar you could try "O my Dog" at 100AM (Same parent company). They usually have a few bags on their shelves but best to call to first to reserve.

I might have overemphasized on the light roasted aspect; I have tried blends from Geisha, which I believe is around a city roast, and found it to be pretty good too. I tend to get rather bad results with dark roasts (usually extremely bitter), which is why I stick to light/medium roasts.

Usually this is my recipe for dark roasted stuff
14g dose using stock double basket. (no vst stuff for this. even the 15g basket taste horrible)
87-89 degree water
21-25g yield.
25-30s

Still some bitterness but I would say its controlled and balanced.

Happy brewing!

 

[Illusionist_85]

waiting for ts to open a cafe